Recent US Intelligence Gathering Operations
Operation Creek Wind
Primary Operating Location: ?
Assigned Units:
– U/I Elements of 55th Wing, Air Combat Command
Start Date: ?
End Date: Ongoing
Superseded by (Africa overflights only): Operation Brave Wind
Summary: Operation Creek Wind involved RC-135V/W Rivet Joint overflights of various areas of the US European Command (EUCOM) area of responsibility, which included the vast majority of Africa prior to the activation of US Africa Command (AFRICOM) in 2008. These operations were conducted in support of various efforts, including those broadly associated with Operation Enduring Freedom, including Operation Enduring Freedom – Trans Sahara in the Sahel region of Africa and Operation Nomad Shadow, a counter-terrorism effort along the Turkey-Iraq border, separate from Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The following table from the 2007 Air Combat Command history provides a snapshot of Creek Wind missions in support of (ISO) EUCOM, showing overflights or planned overflights of a number of African countries and regions, in addition to the Eastern Mediterranean (EMED) and Northern Iraq (N Iraq).
Table IV-8: CREEK WIND Missions ISO EUCOM 2007 (U) from the 2007 Air Combat Command History. The definitions of the asterisks have been redacted.
It is also worth nothing that the “Creek” first word is a permanent US Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) first word. As noted, EUCOM had responsibility for operations in much of Africa prior to AFRICOM’s activation. By 2009, Creek Wind overflights of Africa had been replaced by RC-135V/W missions specifically in support of AFRICOM under the codename Brave Wind. Creek Wind missions continued in support of EUCOM activities.
America's Codebook: Africa 